


Back Office Intrigue

by LaLainaJ



Series: Make Some Noise [105]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: 25DaysofKlaroline, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-09-13 02:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9102163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: Klaus is only hiring Caroline Forbes as a favor to Rebekah. He might be short a waitress but letting his siblings meddle in business decisions is a bad precedent to set.  Then he meets her. Klaus  he might have to actually owe Rebekah a thank you.Though he'd ever admit to such a thing, of course.





	1. Chapter 1

**Back Office Intrigue**

**(Prompt: KC+ "i'm hiring you as a favour to my friend you better be good" au. Rated K+)**

There's a knock at his office door and Klaus takes a minute to remind himself he has to be _nice_ – or else he risks Rebekah's wrath – before he calls for his 4 PM interview to enter.

This little meeting is just a formality. The job's hers if she wants it, even if she turns out to be an unbearable moron. Caroline Forbes is the best friend of Rebekah's current (and longest lasting to date) boyfriend Enzo. She was moving to Chicago to get what he'd been told was a belated start on her education and was in need of a job and quickly. She had an apartment lined up but the city wasn't cheap and she'd reached out to Enzo in hopes that he could supply her with a lead or two.

That was where Klaus came in. His bar was always busy and they had an incredibly high turnover of the wait staff. Some people simply couldn't handle the high volume and he had little patience for incompetence.

Serving drinks with a smile wasn't _that_ difficult though you'd never know it from watching some of the bumbling idiots who'd worked behind his bar over the last few years.

From what Klaus had gathered Rebekah hadn't any fondness for Enzo's friend but his little sister was nothing if not keen to look out for her own interests. Enzo was the generous short and, if his best friend happened to remain down on her luck, he'd be quick to offer assistance, perhaps his couch, something Rebekah would _loathe_.

Her lover's attention split? Enzo not available to immediately cater to her ever whim? The stuff of Rebekah's nightmares.

She'd paid him a visit three days ago, all sugar smiles and faux concern about how busy he was covering shifts since he'd _once again_ had a waitress walk out in tears.

He may have been a bit harsh but, in Klaus' defense, the girl had dropped _three_ trays. She'd not even been through _half_ her shift. She obviously was not cut out for the service industry. Was it really a crime for him to have pointed that out?

Klaus, familiar with Rebekah's tricks, had let her prattle on, only half listening, knowing that she'd eventually wind her way to a point. Eventually she'd casually mentioned that she knew someone, _with_ experience, who was looking for a post immediately and would Klaus perhaps like to meet her?

The holidays were fast approaching, Bekah had said. Things would only get busier.

He'd been instantly suspicious. Rebekah had never shown even an ounce of interest in the more tedious aspects of running the bar. As long as she received service the second she caught a bartenders eye, and they didn't bother her about a silly thing like _payment_ , she didn't care who mixed the drink. A few minutes of back and forth, and Klaus had ascertained exactly how Bekah knew the girl she'd been attempting to foist on him and that she actually didn't know Enzo's friend all that well.

He'd declined at first, mostly to be contrary and also because he'd rather his employees not have any personal connections to his family. His siblings had a tendency to hang around and Klaus was forever kicking Kol out for leering at the waitresses, even those that seemed susceptible to his brother's advances.

Klaus didn't want to deal with any dramatic nonsense once Kol's inevitably wandering gaze shifted away from whatever woman who was in Klaus' employ.

 _Then_ Rebekah had played a card she'd been holding on to. He shouldn't have been surprised because blackmail amongst the siblings was far from uncommon. He'd just been a bit taken aback that she cared so much about this particular issue and was willing to bring up The Cabin Fire Incident.

Kol had taken the brunt of the blame for the small fire that had destroyed the porch at the ski cabin Elijah had rented for the holidays three years ago even though he'd swore, repeatedly _and_ emphatically, it wasn't his fault.

In truth it hadn't been but Elijah hadn't taken him seriously. Kol _did_ have a habit of twisting situations to put his actions in the best light, often wouldn't cop to misdeeds. Elijah had insisted Kol cough up the funds to cover the damages. Klaus had been irritated with Kol for one reason or another at the time – a common enough occurrence that he no longer remembered the source – and so had kept quiet about the fire's true source.

Oil paints, liquor and candlelight did _not_ mix well.

Somehow Rebekah had sussed it out, threatened to tell both Elijah and Kol, and Klaus frankly had not been willing to deal with the headache that entailed.

Somehow he doubted they'd be content to leave it in the past. And with various holidays coming up and forced proximity to his family inevitable Klaus had decided to cave to Rebekah's request despite the unfortunate precedent he'd set.

He only hoped it didn't come back to bite him in the future.

Klaus shuffles papers to the side of the desk and glances up as his office door opens. He sees blonde curls first, slightly windblown as she slips into his office.

Klaus is suddenly far clearer on just _why_ Rebekah's distaste for Caroline was evident even if she'd been trying to talk the other woman up. Her boyfriend having a female best friend would have been enough of an affront to Rebekah's sensibilities if the girl had been homely.

Something Caroline Forbes is _definitely_ not.

She offers him a small slightly nervous smile as she stops next to his desk, extending her hand. "Hi. I'm Caroline. Thanks for agreeing to meet with me."

Klaus grasps her hand and stands, "I'm Klaus and it's my pleasure," he tells her, glad that she'll never know it was a complete and utter lie. "How are you finding Chicago, love?" He nods to the armchairs that are meant for guests and waits until she's settled into one before he takes a seat.

Her hands twist in her lap and she lets out a soft laugh, "It's… different. I'm always kinda terrified that I'll get lost but so far so good."

"Rebekah tells me you're from Virginia? Forgive me but the name of the town escapes me. I know that's where you met Enzo."

"I grew _up_ in Mystic Falls. Met Enzo at college, a town a little ways away called Whitmore."

Right, now Klaus is remembering the story. Some of the details had been vague. He tries to phrase his next question delicately, "And now you're going back to school? A second degree or…"

Her smile turns a bit brittle and she shakes her head, "No, I had to drop out. I moved back home to deal with some family stuff. That's where I started bartending. At a restaurant slash bar called The Grille. I tried to commute and go part time for a while but it just didn't work out."

Klaus finds his curiosity piqued though he knows it would be impolite to pry. Perhaps later on, once they were better acquainted.

Caroline sits up straighter in her chair, an air of determination crossing her features, "Anyway, I am totally familiar with mixing drinks. And I know it gets pretty busy here and you might think I can't handle it but The Grille was literally the only place that served alcohol in town and it could get pretty rowdy. It's the south and we take our football seriously so trust me Super Bowl Sunday was nothing to sneeze at. I'm smart and hard-working and I am _really_ efficient."

Klaus does his very best to keep a neutral expression. He finds her little rant oddly charming but thinks that if he laughs she might assume he's patronizing her.

Something tells him she wouldn't appreciate it.

"Well, as luck would have it I'm in a bit of a bind. Can you start tomorrow?"

She blinks, surprise plain across her face. There's a long pause and she's looking at him like he expects him to tell her he'd been joking. Finally, she opens her mouth. "I… can do that," she stutters.

"Lovely. Can you start at 3? We'll get your paperwork sorted right now and tomorrow I'll run you through the basics, where to find things, the register, etc. before things pick up with the post work crowd."

A task Klaus was usually keen to delegate. He wasn't very good at answering the endless questions – often silly or stupid – that new employees seem to have in abundance.

Something about Caroline intrigues him, the bit of steely determination he'd glimpsed, and so he'll make an exception. It may raise a few eyebrows but most of his employees would be unwilling to ask any too pointed questions about it.

She nods enthusiastically, "That's perfect. Thank you _so_ much."

Klaus waves away her gratitude and digs out the file he'd prepared, hands her a pen and the first of many tedious legal forms. He can't be upset about them today, idly planning on working in a few hopefully casual seeming inquiries about Caroline's studies and interests.

He suddenly regrets that he's never been particularly nice to Enzo, knows that any attempts to pump the other man for more information about Caroline will be met with hostility and may very well lead back to her, making things exponentially more difficult for Klaus to get to know Caroline and see if his interest holds.

He rather suspects it will.

Eventually, if things progress, he may even have to do something to set Rebekah off, have her spill the beans to Kol as a method of distraction. If Kol was busy raging about the blame he'd shouldered for the burned porch, the funds he'd been forced to part with, he might not notice Klaus breaking his own rule about fraternizing with employees.


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Settling into her job Caroline begins to realize that there's more to Klaus than she assumed.

**Back Office Intrigue (Part Two)**

**(Prompt: "dear laine, i have to know what's going to happen next with caroline working in klaus' bar!" The first part can be found in Chapter 76. Rated K+)**

It takes a few weeks for Caroline to realize that something is _off_ at the bar.

She's been settling in to Chicago nicely, had spent a weekend stalking garage sales so her apartment _finally_ looked like someone actually lived there. She got a great deal on a little dining table and a set of chairs, couldn't wait to have people over now that they would actually had somewhere to sit. Her mom's down to a single call filled with alarming crime stats every three days (a marked improvement from the twice daily phone briefings Caroline had endured when she'd first arrived). Her classes are mostly interesting, save for the one with the drone-y professor. She figures 3 out of 4 ain't bad at all, is cautiously optimistic about future semesters. Plus, she actually _likes_ her job.

All in all, life is pretty sweet. Maybe that's why she's slow on the uptake, having been too busy reveling in how well things were going.

Caroline had been a mess internally while preparing to finally move out of Virginia. She'd put on a brave face, brushed off the concerns people in Mystic Falls had been free to share with her. It had been harder when she'd been alone. Privately Caroline had endless lists of worries, sleepless nights filled with anxiety, doubts about if she was doing the right thing.

Still, she'd taken the leap, landed firmly on her feet. Was really freaking proud of herself, knowing that she'd done it and was well on her way to taking name and kicking ass.

When she feels a little more at home, grows comfortable at the bar and with her coworkers, that's when she begins to notice the weirdness.

Klaus seems to practically live at work (though Enzo had informed Caroline that wasn't actually the case, that Klaus had a very nice place around the corner though he loathed entertaining his siblings so Enzo had only been inside twice). When in the bar Klaus spent a lot of time in his office, glued to his laptop or tablet. He did hop onto the floor whenever things got crazy or they were short staffed. Caroline appreciated it, figured it was rare. In all her years working at The Grille she didn't think she'd seen the owner even uncap a beer let alone mix anything. Klaus wasn't super chatty from what she'd seen but he could turn it on with customers, left more than a few ladies discretely tugging their tops down to show more cleavage when he turned to pull bottles.

He flirted lightly with them, flashed his dimples and collected their money. Tossed all the numbers that were not so stealthily slipped his way in the garbage at the earliest opportunity. She wondered idly if he was seeing someone, had been looking for an opportunity inquire without making it seem like she was angling to throw her hat into the ring. Enzo wouldn't let her hear the end of it if he thought Caroline was interested in Klaus and Rebekah would catch wind of it. She'd thawed slightly in the last few weeks and Caroline had no desire to take any steps back so Caroline's curiosity about Klaus' relationship status remained unsatisfied.

That bugged her though she refused to look too deeply into why exactly that was.

Her shift today had started at 2 and it's been a strange one. Usually the middle of the week is quiet and she's able to sneak some time with her textbooks. Not today. There's been a steady stream of people through the door, every seat filled for most of the afternoon and into the evening. A rush had just passed and Caroline's depositing some cash in the till, thankful it's over. She fans herself, taking a much needed breath glancing around to survey the newly empty bar area. Klaus is to her left, finishing up a round of kamikazes for a group of frat rats, but no other customers are waiting. Something cold nudges her bare arm and Caroline jumps in surprise before taking the offered bottle of water gratefully. "Thank you," she tells Sophie, uncapping it and taking a deep swallow. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, "Why in the world are all these people here at 6 on a Tuesday?"

Sophie shakes her head ruefully, "I think there's a concert nearby. People are pre-drinking."

Caroline makes a face, doesn't try to hide her disgruntlement since all the customers are out of ear shot. "Ugh, my feet are killing me and I've got another two hours to go."

Sophie elbows her, tipping her head and casting a significant look in Klaus' direction. Caroline's a little puzzled by it, raises a questioning brow. Klaus has accepted payment for the drinks and he nudges Caroline over to slip it into the register. He makes it clear he's been listening, "You can sit for a minute if you'd like, love. Things look like they'll be quiet for a stretch."

She smiles but refuses. "Thanks, but I'm good. It's my own fault for wearing new boots. Gotta suffer and break them in."

Klaus glances down at her feet for a moment and shakes his head, "I'd comment on how baffling I find the idea that you wouldn't just _buy_ something comfortable but I'll refrain. I have sisters so I realize it's pointless to attempt reason in such situations."

"Men, so condescending." She hip checks him gently and he tosses her a mock glare, "There's a reason we steal your clothes, you know. It's because they're just made comfier than ours. Probably because men are giant whiny babies."

He rolls his eyes but it's good natured and Caroline catches Sophie's shocked face, notes her tense posture. Klaus is busy checking the float level so she mouths, 'What?' behind his back, wondering what's got the other bartender so freaked looking. Sophie shakes her head frantically, grabbing up one of the rags and turning away to painstakingly wipe the bar when Klaus steps back. His eyes don't shift in her direction, however, so her diligent cleaning goes unnoticed. "I'm going to grab a couple cases from downstairs. We're low."

Caroline's tempted to offer to help (sue her, she likes to watch his forearms flex while he lifts heavy things) but she wants to know what's got Sophie, a ball buster from New Orleans who's completely unafraid to smack down creepers or rowdy groups, so spooked more.

Which sucks because Klaus is wearing _really_ good jeans.

He walks away and Caroline manages to wait until he's turned the corner before she sidles over to Sophie, grabbing her arm. " _What_ is your deal?"

"My deal?" Sophie tosses the rag down, crossing her arms. "I wanna know what kind of blackmail you have on Klaus. He offered to let you sit! You called him a whiny baby and he didn't immediately fire you. Come on. Is it some kind of sex tape? I bet he's into the freaky stuff."

Caroline blinks (forcing her brain to _focus_ and not to wander down the path of contemplating Klaus and _any_ variety of sexy times). "He was just being nice?" she finally says and it comes out like a question.

That only makes Sophie more incredulous. "Klaus Mikaelson isn't nice," she insists. "Ever. I have seen him make at least a half a dozen servers cry. A couple of customers too."

Huh. Caroline could maybe picture it. Klaus was sometimes a little… intense. He was a perfectionist (not that Caroline had any room to judge) and she'd always gotten the vibe that he missed absolutely nothing. "He's always seemed fine to me. Not warm and cuddly but not a full on despot either."

"He _is_ a despot. The worst of them. I half expected him to berate you for complaining while you're raking in tips. Remind you of where the door was, that he'd have no problem filling your job."

"If you hate him so much why do you work here?"

Sophie shrugs, "Good location, killer tips. And I'm actually good at this so he leaves me alone as long as I keep my mouth shut and work my ass off."

A woman approaches, drawing Caroline's attention. She orders wine and Caroline's glad it's something easy because her mind is whirling, turning over the new info. Sophie's not the drama llama type, she's blunt and doesn't mince words. Caroline believes what she's been told. Several other things, observations, are clicking into place. The bar's always quieter when Klaus is behind it, the usual banter and jokes between the staff absent. She'd noted it, figured it was just because he was the boss. It also explains all of Rebekah's snide little remarks, Enzo's concerned inquiries into how she was finding working for Klaus.

Why, Caroline wondered, was he _only_ nice to her?

She feared the answer was going to make thing complicated even as she was secretly thrilled that maybe her quickly brushed aside thoughts about Klaus – his forearms, his lips, what he liked to do in his down time – might not be entirely one sided.

Now the question was – what was she going to _do_ about it?


End file.
